Jingtai Emperor
In response, the court eventually elevated the emperor's brother, Zhu Qiyu—who had taken charge of government affairs during the campaign—to the throne.
During his reign, the Jingtai Emperor, with the support of prominent minister Yu Qian, worked to restore the country's infrastructure.
This included repairing the Grand Canal and the Yellow River's dam system, resulting in economic prosperity and a bolstering of the country's strength.
He had not designated an heir, as his son and crown prince had died in the fourth year of his reign under unclear circumstances, possibly due to poisoning.
Taking advantage of this situation, Emperor Yingzong seized control of the government in February 1457 through a palace coup.
[1] As the Prince of Cheng, Zhu Qiyu was said to have lived in Shandong (present-day Wenshang County, Jining) as an adult.
In late July, reports reached Beijing that the Mongols, under the leadership of their de facto ruler Esen, had launched an attack on Datong as part of a massive invasion.
Emperor Yingzong decided to lead personally the campaign against the Mongols, with the support of his trusted advisor Wang Zhen.
Minister of Personnel, Wang Zhi (王直), represented the government, and Grand Secretary Gao Gu (高穀) was the fourth aide.
[4] With the approval of Empress Dowager Sun, the mother of Emperor Yingzong, Zhu Qiyu assumed control of the government on 4 September, but the empress dowager made it clear that his authority was temporary and, on 6 September, named Zhu Jianshen, the two-year-old eldest son of Emperor Yingzong, as crown prince.
During this time, the new Minister of War, Yu Qian, took charge of organizing the defense of Beijing and effectively became the leader of the government even before the new emperor was appointed.
The widely respected Ministers of Personnel, along with their careful selection of capable officials, contributed to a high level of administration in the third quarter of the fifteenth century.
The ministers of Revenue, Jin Lian (金濂); Rites, Hu Ying (胡濙); Justice, Yu Shiyue (俞士悅); and Works, Shi Pu (石璞), all served throughout his reign.
The leadership of the Censorate, Chen Yi (陳鎰), then Yang Shan (楊善), Wang Wen (王文), Xiao Weizhen (蕭維禎), and Li Shi (李實), remained constant from 1445 to 1454.
Additionally, army commander Shi Heng (石亨) and eunuchs Cao Jixiang (曹吉祥) and Liu Yongcheng (劉永誠) also held their positions throughout this time.
Xing An then took over as head of the eunuchs and played a crucial role in negotiating the return of Emperor Yingzong and the change of the crown prince in 1452.
However, prominent officials such as Grand Secretaries Chen Xun (陳循) and Gao Gu did not support the Jingtai Emperor.
The emperor was unable to resolve the dispute until Yu Qian fell ill in 1454–1455, causing him to lose much of his influence.
He also removed the eunuchs from their supervisory role, resulting in a unified command and a greater involvement of the capital generals in managing the training camps.
[15] In 1450, Shandong experienced a famine, and from 1452 to 1454, the provinces in northern China and the lower Yangtze River were greatly affected by heavy rains and cold weather.
Although there were some proposals to address this problem by resuming state production, they were disregarded, resulting in the spread of illegal mints through unofficial networks.
In 1453, Xu Youzhen (徐有貞), who had fallen out of favor during the crisis of 1449 when he suggested relocating the capital from Beijing to Nanjing, presented a plan to rebuild the levees and canals.
[19] Traditional history portrays the 1450s as a time of intense competition between two imperial brothers, but Marxist historians emphasize the presence of class conflicts.
[16] In Guangdong and Guangxi, the lawlessness of non-Chinese populations (specifically the Miao and Yao tribes) went unchecked until Wang Ao was sent to the region in 1452–1453.
[16] Overall, the reign of the Jingtai Emperor was marked by successful reforms and the restoration of stability, thanks to the efforts of capable ministers.
Emperor Yingzong wasted no time in making changes to the government, promoting the conspirators and dismissing officials from the previous regime.
In the mid-17th century, a ruler of the Southern Ming dynasty in Nanjing gave him the temple name Daizong (代宗).
However, the deposed Empress Wang was allowed to continue living outside the palace, allegedly under the protection of her nephew, who had regained his position as heir and later became the Chenghua Emperor.
